The notion that PaaS exists solely “in the cloud” as a discrete environment of developer services is hampering the maturation of enterprise PaaS.
The three most common answers to “give me an example of PaaS” are: Force.com, Azure, Google. I didn’t even need to do an unscientific Internet survey to nail that one down.
These are certainly fine examples of PaaS, but they are not necessarily examples of enterprise PaaS solutions. While off-premise PaaS offerings do address many of the same challenges being faced by enterprise operations today, they do so in a way that makes integration and control – not to mention the measurement and monitoring required by developers – nearly impossible.
Monthly Archives: June 2013
What You May Have Missed From Citrix Synergy 2013
By Randy Becker, Consulting Architect, LogicsOne
Citrix held its most important event of the year for customers and partners at the end of May. I have been attending these events for many years and this had to be the largest attendance I have ever seen. I was told that 60% were first-time attendees. There was plenty of excitement, and those of you who know Mark Templeton know that he tied in great classic rock to the event. The theme was “Going Mobile,” and what else to lead things off but The Who’s classic “Going Mobile.”
So what were the highlights of the event? Mark talked about two CEO meetings he recently attended. These meetings were focused on DOS and MAC. Yes, DOS and MAC are back, but in a very different way. DOS = Don’t Add Stuff and MAC = Moves Adds and Changes. DOS focuses on doing more with what you have and leveraging technologies that reduce complexity. MAC is reduce the number of and costs associated with moves, adds and changes.
I would say that the predominant message of this conference was providing the mobile workforce the tools (applications) they require to perform their job. This is not a new message; this has been the pervasive message from Citrix for many years. The real twist here is that customers are now really able to work and perform their jobs with devices like tablets from Apple, Samsung, and others. It is my opinion that delivering Windows applications to these devices still has its limitations. It isn’t that they don’t work; it’s that the application may not be conducive to a touch pad device. Citrix offers their Mobility Pack to address some of these limitations, and I have customers successfully using Windows applications delivered by XenApp and XenDesktop to iPads.
So what does all this mean? Well, for one, Citrix recently acquired Zenprise, an MDM solution. Zenprise sits in Gartner’s magic quadrant with Mobile Iron and Air Watch. We have had a lot of fun with this one, and yes, Citrix performed a find and replace on the Z and substituted with a X. This acquisition puts Citrix in a unique position when combined with the rest of the product suite. XenMobile is the complete solution set that Citrix is marketing as an all-inclusive MDM solution.
I think two of the challenges Citrix is going to face with XenMobile are the overlap in existing products, mainly their existing MDX solution set and the complex implementations associated with MDM solutions. The challenge here will be to keep the best of both products and provide an integrated console. I would expect the overlap and integrated console will be addressed in the near future. Don’t get me wrong, I have attended a number of training sessions and I was able to easily build my own XenMobile MDM environment and enroll my iPad and iPhone and push some apps down in an afternoon hands-on session. When I was done, I was even able to perform a selective wipe and remove my corporate managed apps with ease. Citrix spent a little time up front to get the APNS cert squared away. Apple doesn’t make it easy for large corporations to manage Apple devices.
Project Excalibur, now XenDesktop 7, is the most significant release we have seen yet to date, to be released in the June timeframe. Included in this we will now see the integration of XenDesktop and XenApp in one platform. This is a major product change, and the end of Independent Management Architecture (IMA), replaced with XenDesktop’s FlexCast Management Architecture (FMA). This will mean a clean install for XenApp customers, again. To combat the whole XenDesktop is complex, Citrix did an amazing job reducing consoles and simplifying the install. I never minded the extra consoles; it just amazed me that it takes so long to integrate them. As Mark Templeton said, two consoles, eight clicks and 20 minutes and you have a working environment. I’m a strong advocate for proper planning and design, so this is fine for a POC. Spend the time up front before the “20 minutes” to install. Now the two consoles are not 100 percent accurate if you want Provisioning Server (PVS), and I almost always recommend that you include this in your delivery solution.
The two primary consoles are Desktop Studio; this is where you perform all of your configuration and Desktop Director, the place you go to manage and support your users. The interface to Desktop Director ROCKS! We continue to see Citrix develop support tools that makes everyone’s lives easier, including the users. XenDesktop also allows for easy publishing of single applications on desktops, so if you need backward for forward compatibility this is even easier than before.
XenDesktop 7 also has better integration with high-end video adapters from NVidia and two new K adapters for two different purposes. We are now seeing that you need Graphic Processors for even Knowledge Workers in VDI using standard office applications. This is different than the need for high-end graphics cards for software like Solid Works and AutoCAD. Two different requirements and two different cards and solutions that can be integrated, check out these cards from NVidia.
Web Interface is now dead with the release of XenDesktop 7. It has been replaced with StoreFront. Customers should be focusing on moving to StoreFront even for existing deployments. No big changes here for the end users. On the back-end there are significant changes in terms of flexibility and scale. To make it easy for users, one can download Citrix Receiver and all they need to know to get setup and access to applications is their email address. This auto provisioning is amazingly easy, and I highly recommend that this be included in any implementation.
There was some significant news on the NetScaler front. A new code update, HDX Insight, an additional high-end model and an expansion of the partner solutions running on NetScaler SDX. SDX is physical hardware, with a hypervisor using virtualized NetScaler instances with dedicated hardware to each instance. Partners like Palo Alto and BLUECAT will be able to leverage the SDX platform. More to come on these announcements but we can all see where this is going. Cisco and Citrix have formed a very strong partnership including the NetScaler as a Cisco Validated Design (CVD). Cisco is now using the NetScaler as their go to Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and XenDesktop on Unified Computing System (UCS). Customers are also going to be able to add HDX Insight for the NetScaler; this will give additional monitoring visibility into all traffic flowing through the NetScaler including High Definition User Experience (HDX). For those of you not familiar with HDX, think of HDX protocol as ICA on steroids.
One announcement that didn’t get much attention is the Mac Desktop Player. I think this is part of XenClient and allows for the checking out of a Windows desktop. Almost everyone that has a Mac uses some type of virtualization layer to run Windows on a Mac now. I assume we will see more information on this once it goes into tech preview.
In summary, some key takeaways:
- Citrix Redefines Enterprise Mobility with XenMobile Enterprise
Citrix XenMobile Enterprise Edition combines mobile device, app and data management, a unified corporate app store, mobile productivity apps and “one-touch” live support into an inclusive solution for delivering mobile services to business. Worx App and Citrix MDX app container technology to add features like data encryption, password authentication, secure lock and wipe, inter-app policies and micro VPNs to mobile applications. - Citrix Continues to Expand Enterprise Mobility Strategy with XenDesktop 7
XenDesktop 7 is the first release of Project Avalon, a multi-phased initiative to deliver Windows as a cloud service. XenDesktop 7 offers integrated Windows app and desktop mobility, easier deployment options and simplified management, all delivered through a new, cloud-style architecture. Current XenDesktop and Citrix XenApp customers will find the new architecture easier than ever to deploy, manage and support. XenDesktop 7 represents the state-of-the-art in app and desktop virtualization, enabling any business to mobilize Windows apps and desktops and deliver them as a cloud service to any device. XenDesktop 7 breaks the bonds between application workloads and delivery infrastructure so that multiple versions of Windows Server and desktop operating systems may be run side by side, including newly enabled support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. - HDX Insight with NetScaler Insight Control
This is a really powerful tool to give admins and support personnel full end user experience visibility for the HDX protocol, as well as other applications being delivered by the NetScaler. HDX Insight runs as an appliance and collects data on the NetScaler using AppFlow. - ShareFile Mobilizes and Secures Enterprise Data Everywhere
With the Synergy announcement, Citrix is uniquely positioned to mobilize user data everywhere, including data within SharePoint and network drives and public cloud storage on Microsoft Azure, while providing IT with comprehensive control to secure enterprise data everywhere. - Citrix announced new Citrix ShareFile innovations for mobilizing and securing enterprise data, including StorageZone Connectors for SharePoint and network drives, new Citrix-managed StorageZone options with Microsoft Windows Azure and unique integration with Citrix XenMobile.
All in all, a successful event!
Genesys accelerates cloud strategy with new Platform On Demand offering
Aphrodite Brinsmead, Senior Analyst, Customer Experience and Interaction
Genesys is making bold moves to strengthen its position in the cloud customer service market. Following its acquisitions of Angel.com in February 2013 and, more recently, SoundBite Communications, Genesys will also offer its own suite of contact center applications in the cloud.
The new solution, Platform On-Demand, will be offered in addition to Genesys’ existing partner-led cloud solutions. It is targeted at contact centers with over 100 seats that are looking for an entire Genesys suite, as well as customers that want to add select applications in the cloud.
As the uptake of cloud contact center solutions rapidly increases, it is a logical move for Genesys to offer its own suite of contact center applications in the cloud. Although the vendor is behind its competitors in launching its own cloud offering, there is a significant opportunity in the market as customers …
The future of integration middleware is hybrid
Saurabh Sharma, Senior Analyst, IT Solutions
Many organisations are struggling with integration issues created by the rapid rise of social, mobile, and cloud platforms, and given the persistent time and budget constraints, are not inclined to use traditional integration approaches for hybrid integration scenarios.
IT has no other option but to combine traditional and cloud-based integration approaches to deliver the desired integration capabilities on time and within the allocated budget.
The growing adoption of integration PaaS (iPaaS) solutions signifies the increasing importance of “middleware-as-a-service” and marks the transition of integration from being a “one-to-one” to a “many-to-one” function. An increasing number of integration processes are moving to the cloud, and “hybrid integration middleware” paradigms are no longer uncommon, with this trend expected to become steadily more pervasive.
The rise of hybrid IT calls for a hybrid integration strategy
The rapid rise of cloud services is driving the proliferation of hybrid …
Fathers of Clouds – A Tribute
For more than half a century, cloud computing has changed names more often than a Hollywood starlet.
Utility computing. Time share. Thin client. SaaS. PaaS. IaaS. While concepts have been added and capabilities grown, cloud computing was no more invented by Amazon or other modern vendors in the last seven years reality invented by reality shows. It’s simply been advance, repackaged and repurposed for as long as computer connectivity has existed.
In honor of Father’s Day, NJVC looks up the family tree of cloud computing to say thank you to six of the fathers of cloud computing. (And if you’re wondering about a gift, a single tie will suffice. Certainly, these guys understand how to share.)
AWS Is Hiring Support Staff
This video is one of several recent ones on AWS staffing opportunities. To apply for a position on the AWS support team, send your resume to awssupportjobs@amazon.com.
101domain.com – One of First Registrars to Launch Scaled Implementation of Server Nodes Using Parallels Plesk Automation
Q&A with Joe Alagna, VP of Channel Development at 101domain.com
101domain.com was one of the first registrars to launch a scaled implementation of server nodes using Parallels Plesk Automation. The platform allows web hosting providers to manage tasks asynchronously, including provisioning and infrastructure updates, adding hosting accounts, and managing multiple servers from a single access point. It is also designed to be more secure and to limit vulnerability to attack by isolating production workloads.
The project was managed by 101domain.com’s Hosting Services Manager, Rodolfo Elias. We wanted to learn about his experience and tracked him down for some Q & A.
Q. Now that you’ve had a chance to work with Parallels Plesk Automation what are your overall impressions?
A. The product gives us the ability to separate services, making it a lot more efficient for us to balance accounts and provision servers as necessary. The centralized management of accounts and resellers allows us to track usage more efficiently.
Q. As an early adopter, what advice would you give someone getting started on Parallels Plesk Automation to help them do it better?
A. We took advantage of every one of the features the product offers. Our integration was a bit complex. I’d suggest that they acquaint themselves with the documentation ahead of time so they can understand better how to provision and manage the software within the platform. Use the resources that Parallels Plesk Panel provides and work closely with their team. They’ve been very supportive to us.
Q. What are some of the benefits that the platform offers to clients?
A. The client interface is exactly the same as our previous Parallels Plesk Panel interface (Parallels Plesk Panel 11). This was a big advantage because those clients didn’t see any difference at all. We also consolidated all of our clients who used previous versions of Parallels Plesk Panel (versions 8 – 10) so now our entire customer base is on a single platform as we move forward. Future upgrades will be much easier because everything is centralized.
Q. But what about other clients? Will they see any other benefits to this?
A. Surely. With the separation of services, there will be less of a load on each server. Their websites will respond quicker. That’s the biggest benefit. The platform is more secure because one service doesn’t affect another. Apache, email, MySQL and web services are all independent. We can monitor the servers better and separate the impact of each service on a server. That makes our client’s websites and email hosting more reliable.
Now our clients can host all of their domains without worrying about overages. They get centralized management of all domains in one place. They also get unlimited email boxes at a very low price. We’re really proud our revamped hosting services platform and we think it’s a great value for our clients.
Q. What about resellers? Are there any important benefits for them?
A. Yes, a lot. Our new hosting reseller program will allow us to provide resellers with a branded solution for their hosting ventures. We’re still working on that piece but it will be coming out soon. It’s going to be really nice.
The Dangers of Dumbing Down Your Business
In Part 1 I talked about how there’s nothing new about subscription services since they’ve been around for generations.
Now I’ll relent a little and admit that there is something new about many of the subscription services out there. What’s new is what is no longer there. Traditionally, the whole point of subscription services was to create a two-way commitment in which both the service provider and the customer benefits.
The commitment benefits the customer by providing discounts, rewards, exclusive products, price stability and service guaranteed in return for a promise to pay money regularly for a period of time.
The commitment benefits the service provider by establishing a more predictable and reliable forecast of revenues for some time into the future, which facilitates both resource planning and financial planning.
Cloud Expo New York: Six Not-So-Blind Men and the Cloud Elephant
As with everything else, the best way to get a view of a new technology area is by asking for independent opinions. The old adage of the 6 blind men and the elephant comes to mind. Coincidentally, there were six “blind men” on the panel, including our very engaging host, Mr. Geelan. And there were views that converged in a common theme – Cloud Connects.
The discussion was very entertaining, as all panels mediated by Jeremy are. Interestingly, the analogy went into elephants and other sorts of fauna. To me the Cloud elephant is the right animal to summarize this discussion around – my mind went to the old Indian fable of six blind men and the elephant (I did drop the word “blind” because the panel is obviously not blind and was made of very experienced leaders in this industry J). But it was six men with different views, yet converging on the same theme of how cloud computing fits into this world and the future.
MSPs Must Practice What They Preach – Especially with Security
Precautions to safeguard client data & infrastructure is an MSPs responsibility-this extends beyond client’s sphere of access to MSP employees & consultants. MSPs must employ some degree of security to cover their own access, not just that of their clients.
A man walks into the doctor’s office. He hasn’t been feeling well. A virus has been floating around the office and the man feels he’s caught it.
Doctor walks in, smiles and picks up the chart. He starts examining the man and as he writes a prescription advises he keeps sanitary and wash his hands several times a day.
Do you trust this doctor.especially after he prescribes vigorous hand-washing, but forgot to wash his own before poking and prodding during the exam.
Obviously this doctor loses credibility. This moral is a lesson that MSPs (managed service providers) must heed. MSPs frequently tell their clients to treat data in a secure fashion lest it compromised-by hack, by carelessness or by lax standards. It is only natural to expect your MSP to abide by certain security practices to prevent client data from becoming exposed.